hoping to get certified

[dawnc]

DH and I have talked a lot about getting certified to dive. I have done some research, but am hoping to get some input from some "seasoned" divers. None of our friends dive, so I am hoping my CC friends can help!

 

As far as getting certified, I am unsure which training center to use. We live at the Jersey shore, so there are a few local places for me to choose from. How can I find out which one is the better one to use? Business being business, they will all try to say that their place is the best one to use. Since I have no real knowledge of diving, I have no idea what to ask them to make my choice!

 

Is it unrealistic for me to expect to become certified before our next cruise? We are planning our next cruise in May 2005, which will most likely be a Western Caribbean on Carnival. If we take the Triumph, our ports will be Cozumel, Grand Caymen and Ochos Rios. If we take the Miracle, they will be Grand Caymen, Costa Maya, Cozumel and Belize. As of right now, those are in the final running. I have heard great things about Grand Caymen and Belize. Which port or ports have you had the best diving experience? Would you do a ship excursion or book your own? Would we have to bring equipment or could it be provided for us?

 

I know that there must be a lot more questions that I should ask about this. Maybe with some of your help, DH and I can see what so many others have seen, while we have only seen it in pictures.

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Dawn

[WISara]

Hey Dawn!

I'm not a seasoned diver (I actually just got my certification card in the mail today!!) but I thought I'd chime in with my thoughts as a new diver-

 

For us - certification was 2 classroom nights, 2 pool nights and 2 open water dive days. We did Tuesday class and Thursday pool for 2 weeks and then the next weekend we did the dives Saturday and Sunday. We did our dives at the beginning of October and I know for this area it was the last test out dive of the year - might be similar where you are. I know they begin again in May around here (depending on temps) so you could probably get it done before the cruise. Or you could also do the classes at a dive shop near you and then take the "test out" dives while on the cruise - almost all of the shops down there offer that.

 

As far as choosing a dive shop - we called aorund to different places - asked about the certification classes and chatted a bit on the phone about what we were looking for - then from the shops where we felt most comfortable with we dropped in to see the shop and then picked the one we liked the best. Pretty much we asked how long the classes were, how big the classes were (we were lucky and BF, a friend and myself had a class to ourselves -- the other folks who tested out with us had a class with 12-14 other people!!), where the pool sessions were, who the instructor was - what was his/her experience, etc

 

We are planning a couple of dives for our cruise in Dec - and are looking at both options (cruise vs independant book) and people will argue both ways - I think it really depends on your comfort level - plus the amount of time you are going to be in a certain port - or if you are tendering or not - all things to factor in when choosing.

 

Good luck!

:) Sara

[cram33]

I am an advanced open water certified diver. This is what you do. Go to a local place near you where you feel comfortable. Do your classroom and pool sessions there. Then while on vacation you go to a dive shop and do your checkout dives with them. There are 4 checkout dives, so you can do 2 dives on 2 days.

 

If you will be diving for a week on vacation, just take the first 2 days to finish up. Then start exploring reef and aquatic life the rest. Don't spend your vacation in a classroom or a pool.

 

Call or visit dive shops in your area and ask about their classes and facilities. Go with whoever makes you feel comfortable.

 

You could find people from your area familiar with dive shops, and find basically answers to every question you could have at www.scubaboard.com. I hope that helps.

[robstrash]

Definitely recommend scubaboard.com. They have different forums based on area so you can post in the Jersey (or Tristate or whatever they call it) forum and ask what dive shops people use. Be warned, like here, you might get 10 responses, all saying a different place is best.

 

You can also go to padi.com (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) web site and get a list of places in your area. We chose a place that had a pool on site as we thought it would be much easier to do the pool nights on site (it was).

 

Since you do need to buy your mask, fins, snorkel, boots, and gloves before you go, find the top 2 recommendations and drive over and talk to the staff. Tell them you are thinking about becoming certified and have them walk you through finding gear. Make sure you feel comfortable with them.

 

Another important thing is the teacher. When you talk to the Local Dive Shops (LDS), ask who the instructor would be for the class and then ask people on scubaboard what they think.

 

In our class, we had so many people that they split the class in two. Thank god as we really did not care for the other instructor at all. We got grouped with an instructor we really like and have since done our Advanced, Nitrox, and Dry Suit certification classes with him. Since we know him he always teaches the class and then "tells us like it is" as well. For us, the teacher really made the differance as it was much more enjoyable.

 

The place we chose also offered and "Advanced" class where everything was done in 2 weekends, including the certification dives. If you do this, you MUST read everything in advance. It helps to be a "good student" type person as it will be much easier. Some people in our class really struggled, but my wife and I thought it was a breeze (we were both good students in school).

 

I really think you will enjoy it a lot. We dove in Maui in September and the last day could only snorkel (you'll learn why you can't fly within so many hours of diving in class). I was so disappointed to snorkel as I knew how much better it would be to "go to the bottom."

 

Also, be aware of the costs that will be incurred. You will have to spend a few hundred in equipment and in class fees up front. Depending on how much you dive, you may decide to buy your own equipment as well. It's definitely not a sport for poor folks, but looking at costs over a few years, not too much more than golf :)

[WesW]

Dawn, Cram33's suggestions are good ones, in fact, I took my OWC Classes

here and will do the OW Dives in Cozumel and Roatan in December...For Cozumel

try EagleRay divers, they get great reviews here on CC...For Grand Cayman

try Neptune Divers--will try to dive w/them in December, they are still recovering

from Ivan...Or you could do all you OWD's at home...but I prefer the warm

caribbean than the Rock Quarry I was offered..Plus, the Islands dive shops

Open Water Referrals are economical...Good luck & Great Diving! r/wes

[w&k]

Diving is all about YOU.

 

The right dive shop is the one that is comfortable, and excited to be teaching YOU to dive. The right dive shop should feel just as good as your own living room. Once you get certified, you will be hanging out and diving with other divers from that shop, at least while you get comfortable. If they have a dive club, go to a meeting to see if you like the people.

 

Certifying agency is unimportant - all agencies teach the same skills, but there are good and not-so-good instructors in all agencies. The best instructor is the one that is comfortable for YOU.

 

Glittering generalization: the bigger the shop, the less important YOU are. If the shop has big classes, rigorous times, and set dives, or they try to talk you into buying gear BEFORE the class, RUN!. If, during the class, there are 'gear commercials,' RUN out the door as soon as you are certified.

 

Remember, certification is to be able to dive safely. You will learn to be a GOOD diver as you continue to dive. The best way to learn after class is to hook up with some experienced divers, and follow them on dives. Divers are cool people, and will share their knowledge. Usually, it's hard to get us to stop sharing! Particularly if there are beverages involved.

 

Unfortunately, many people get certified and never dive again. Some more get certified, buy a full set of ill-fitting, expensive equipment, then drop out of sight. That's really sad. Even worse is when the non-diving SO decides that the diver is not diving anymore. I can't tell you how many howling phone calls I received from upset SOs that had divers going on trips (of course, my reply was 'tough').

 

Another horrible scenario is someone that gets certified, never gets comfortable or proficient, and turns into the dreaded once-a-year weekend warrior. That's why the Keys mostly stink these days, and the ship's tours USUALLY cater to the lowest skill level.

 

IMHO, finish your certification before you leave. If you can get at least a couple of dives in before you go cruising, so much the better. Dive a quarry, mud puddle, lake, beach, or go hop in someone's pool if you have to.

 

The more comfortable you are in the water, the more good stuff you will see down in the beautiful blue of the islands.

 

Please join us lady sharks!

 

Wendy

300+ dives

OW (PADI), AOW, Rescue (NASE)